Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Fate of the Furgary

According to the report in the Columbia Paper,Mayor William Hallenbeck is planning to erect a locked fence around the Furgary Boat Club tomorrow to keep the Furgarians out, but News Channel 10 in Albany is reporting that the City of Hudson intends to demolish the shacks tomorrow.

Monday Morning Update: News Channel 10 removed the online story shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night. Common Council President Don Moore (in a comment on this blog) staunchly denied that the City intends to demolish the shacks today.

Let's all stay focused on continuing a dialogue with the city to promote the preservation of this location and some of its existing structures as a way of honoring its historical significance. This morning's events closed the chapter filled with memories of the last 100+ years. Today marks a new beginning and we, the citizens of Hudson, have the ability to help shape a plan that will allow open public access and a chance to experience the feeling of simpler times.

Tiff I just hope that the City of Hudson stays as focused as you & other Furgarians are w/ your future take on what to do next regarding FBC. You have a positive outlook on the situation & most likely excellent recommendations. Can someone tell me if it is true that the Hudson Boat Club, the other boat club located in Hudson, pays only $1.00 in taxes to the City & that the citizens have to pay the remaining 10%?

tmdonofrio, thanks so much for the words of encouragement. I've put in a FOIL request to the mayor and the city attorney asking for any documentation regarding any lease, past or present, that existed between the city and HPBA. I've also asked for any documents pertaining to any transer of deed, sale, etc. I hope to have any answer this week and will follow up with you once I have the information in hand.

If you have a casual interest in this story and especially if you have no interest at all, WAKE UP.

These and related events are a massive alert to a new way of doing business in Hudson.

Let's only address a new attitude to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).

The city is permitted 5 days to send an acknowledgement of a FOIL response.

The last time I FOILed the City was JULY 5th.

IT IS NOW JULY 17th, and I've had no acknowledgement of my request.

In late June I FOILed City Hall on two other occasions. No information has been returned to me.

(The 3 requests in total are not complicated: "any mention of an EAF"; "any mention of an FWP"; "amy mention of demolition.")

State officials were aghast when I informed them, and simply said "they just can't do that."

"Ah" I replied, "this is Hudson, and Hudson officials always end up believing that they are the law here."

Of course a citizen's only recourse is to sue the city for what is rightfully his or hers, which should alert people to a new level of viciousness here.

Cheryl Roberts learned a mighty lesson when no one challenged her THOROUGHLY CROOKED GEIS in court earlier this year. (The South Bay Task Force simply didn't have the money to do it.) As their educations advance via the public's apathetic reinforcements, their contempt for the law and for the people grows even bolder. Of FOIL requests, they'd rather risk slovenliness or total disregard than do the required thing.

Length of FOILing time was the proper context within which to judge the 30 day grace period the city permitted the Furgarians to stay on.

Length of FOILing time will be the appropriate context to judge any action that the city telegraphs next.

It may be your interest next. That's why all should be aware that something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

(It should be noted that there is some concern about FOIL requests are being conducted among our representatives on the Common Council. Those alderman must hear from us.)

As of yesterday, the City of Hudson was late in furnishing me with an answer to my June 26th FOIL request.

Beyond 20 days the law permits no further excuses. The city is now in contempt of the Freedom of Information Law.

Any losses incurred by a court challenge will be paid by taxpayers, and not by the individuals we elected to govern us - and some we didn't directly elect. These losses may entail paying all of the legal expenses of a petitioner.

The Common Council is about to take a vote on the city's manner of processing FOIL requests. The story is worthy of everyone's attention.

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About The Gossips of Rivertown

This blog takes its name from the 1850 novel by Hudson author Alice B. Neal. The original Gossips of Rivertown cast a gimlet eye on Hudson society in the mid-19th century. More than a century and a half later, the new Gossips carries on the spirit of the original, but in a different genre and with a different focus.